


Finally At Rest

by yvochrali



Series: The Retoldverse [13]
Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Dark Comedy (some), Diary/Journal, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fate & Destiny, Frenemies, Gen, Giles is a dad to all the scoobies, Guilt, Implied Relationships, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Jenny is a mom to all the scoobies, Letters, POV Alternating, POV Faith Lehane, POV Original Female Character, POV Rupert Giles, POV Willow Rosenberg, Past, Platonic Female/Male Relationships, Season/Series 03, Wicca, Willow Owes Someone Cookies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-03
Updated: 2021-01-05
Packaged: 2021-03-13 11:34:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,481
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28527792
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yvochrali/pseuds/yvochrali
Summary: Willow and Giles have a way overdue chat and both end up making an important decision that will affect the course of what´s to come...at different times of course. Part 13 of the Retoldverse. Set in Season 3, a few months after The Demon Within.
Relationships: Faith Lehane & Diana Dormer, Jenny Calendar & Faith Lehane, Rupert Giles & Willow Rosenberg
Series: The Retoldverse [13]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1891282
Comments: 4
Kudos: 4





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MaiadaughterofAtlas](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaiadaughterofAtlas/gifts).



> Hey hey, it´s me again! Finally! After a long, long, long time, I have finally returned after almost four months of writer´s block (growls ferociously as Mr Writers Block attempts to sneak behind her, who squeaks in terror and runs away) Oi! Get lost you little piece of--(censored)! 
> 
> Dawn: "Woah. Chill, dude."
> 
> You sound like Faith.
> 
> Faith: "Well me and Lil D have been hanging out a lot, haven´t we, D?"
> 
> Dawn: (gives a single dramatic nod, a proud glint in her eyes)
> 
> (whines) But...But, what happened to Tara..? What happened while I was gone, guys?!
> 
> Faith and Dawn silently nod behind them.
> 
> (Author squints)
> 
> Loud music is blaring in the background. People are dancing in huge crowds. In the midst of it all, a rock-babe Tara is rocking it out on her amazing guitar, dressed in all-black and revealing clothing. She has trendy sunglasses on, is covered in piercings and is singing like an angel of death.
> 
> (Authors stares, horrified) Wha...What have you done to our sweet and gentle Tara???! YOU...
> 
> (Faith and Dawn put black sunglasses on in sync, sly smirks on their faces.) "We finally turned her, baby." (They rush off to join the crowd)
> 
> NOOOOOOOOOOOO
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own Buffy the Vampire Slayer and I have nothing against people who dress in all black and wear piercings.

**Finally At Rest**

**Set in Season 3**

Rupert Giles hurriedly entered the library, looking very much like the busy man he was. He swooped past the oak table and, without breaking a sweat - he was Giles after all - descended up the steep stairs to the top of the library. 

_This cannot be._ He thought to himself, adjusting his glasses a little. _How could I have missed something like this? Or more importantly, the Council. Blasted Council! How did they not inform me of such...such crucial information?!_

Giles ran his hand through his greying hair and let out a heavy sigh. He leaned against the railing and slowly held out a small book in front of him. If one looked more closely, one could see that it was a journal. A simple, but elegant diary. He studied it carefully, taking in every detail like he usually did with every book he happened upon. Or in this case, found in his mailbox, along with a sealed letter, sent by someone who, apparently, wished to remain anonymous. Giles had quickly deduced that the only people who would have even the slightest chance of even gaining access to such a thing would be a high-ranking Council Member. They, after all, were involved in the most of the Council´s... _top-secret_...dealings and could easily slip by unannounced (usually via bribery and blackmail - he himself was an expert at that, not that he would admit it) and get ahold of, well, anything. It amused him greatly that corruption had, once again, assisted him to an extent.   
  
They were also the ones who felt the most strongly about Quentin and his cold, detached _leadership_ skills. The only thing that bloody joke of a man was good at was extortion, fraud and interestingly enough, golf. Stableford to be more precise. 

Giles shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose. As much as he despised the horrid and power-hungry man, he had to focus on the matter at hand; Faith. 

A young girl- _ha_ , he doubted she was a girl anymore. He felt sick to his stomach as he recognized the cold and steely glint in her dark eyes. Haunted. Griefing. Lost. No matter her mental age, she had no support system. No parents - her mother was dead and her father locked up in a federal prison for multiple counts of drug trafficking and distribution. No friends - he rarely saw her anywhere except for in the library or occasionally hanging around Buffy´s house. Giles felt another painful stab of empathy. How had nobody noticed? How had _he_ , he who was responsible for her life, her _wellbeing_ , both emotional and financial, failed so miserably at the one job he had been assigned to do? He had focused so intensely on Buffy, that he had neglected to do the same for Faith, who now not only lived _alone_ in a cheap and filthy motel room _where_ _any vampire, demon or supernatural creature could enter_ , but the girl was only shy of her _16th_ birthday! An adult in mind, but a _child_ nonetheless in body. 

Giles looked down at the journal again. The title stood out to him hauntingly.

_Diana Dormer: A Memoir Through The Ages_

The date at the very bottom only served to remind him that in a short few months, only death would come to her.

_March 1998  
_

He ran his hand through his hair again, albeit less agitatedly then before. He honestly didn´t know what to do. He didn´t dare open the book in fear that whatever was written on those pages was not for his eyes to see, but someone else's. 

_Faith_.

"Of course!" He suddenly said aloud. Then more softly, "Of course." 

Giles had never met Diana, but from what he found in the research into the younger Watcher´s past, the woman had never been married and had no living relatives, if you counted some distant cousins as relatives. He doubted she had ever even met them. The only personal connection Diana had had was Faith. And if that was the case...then Diana without a doubt would have left everything to Faith. Her fiances, estates, jewellery, books and other such personal items. If she had even written a will at all. It was entirely possible...

"Giles?" 

He was startled out of his deep thinking as a young, obviously, feminine voice came from behind him. He turned around to meet concerned green eyes. _Willow_.

"Oh Willow! Er, yes? What´s the matter?" He sneaked a glance at the clock hanging on the wall. _19:23_ "What are you doing here at this late hour?"

She whinged her hands nervously. "Oh I just came here for, you know...it´s nothing." She squeaked. _My parents decided to take an earlier flight half-way across the world after finally meeting my boyfriend, who they do obviously do not think is the right sort for "a young proper Jewish girl like their oh, so precious daughter", but nooo biggie._ "Um, I just saw you staring off in space and I was wondering..." She shifted her eyes. "A-Are you okay?" 

A warm affectionate feeling flooded Giles´ chest at her daughter-like concern. He softened his tone. "Of course. I was just-" He stopped abruptly. His eyes widened. _Willow!_ _Damnit, man!_

"-Actually, I need you to do something for me." He adopted an authoritative tone. Willow started in surprise, looking up at him with wide eyes. He hardly ever talked like that. Probably why Buffy hardly ever listened to him. The only reason why she did it was because well, hello! He was an adult. An authority figure. She had to listen to him. Right?

 _God! All you need to do now is get down on all fours and wag your tail like a little puppy dog!_ A Cordelia-like voice entered her mind. She frowned. When did Cordelia suddenly have her own little voice in Willow´s head? 

_Focus brain, focus! Giles is talking!_

"W-what?" Willow stuttered. _Great job, Will._

"I have recently come across some...er, important information that needs to be delivered to...someone. I will attend to the matter, but I need _you_ , Willow-" She felt a spark of pride, -"to find out all you can about a woman named Diana Dormer. Everything you can find. But...most of all I want you to attempt to find anything about her bank statements. A will of some kind, anything..." He took a deep breath, "anything that has to do with Faith." 

Willow´s eyes widened impossibly. "Wait-Faith?" Her eyes bugged out, then understanding filled them. _Oh._ "Oh my...Was she...?" She trailed off, but the unspoken question lingered in the air.

Giles took off his glasses and sighed _deeply_ before once again meeting her desperately searching eyes. "Yes. She is... _was_ Faith´s Watcher." 

Willow squirmed with guilt. She hadn´t really thought about how...how _horrible_ it must have been for the other slayer to lose possibly the only person who had...she felt ill at the thought. _Maybe she needs Buffy more than ever and all I have been doing is being all possessive-girl about it. Buffy should be mine, not hers...or maybe I have already lost her._ She looked away, studying the ground beneath her feet.

"I know that you and Faith haven´t exactly seen...ah, eye-to-eye about... _certain_ things..." The unspoken, _you´ve been playing tug-of-war with your best friend as the rope this past month and a half_ _but let´s not about that shall we,_ was deliberately left out. Willow suddenly had a very _peculiar_ cartoony image come to mind, which in turn made her entire face turn a very impressive shade of red. (A/N link to my drawing - warning, I can´t draw for shit. [The Entire Faith/Buffy/Willow Relationship - Google Docs](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1NpaOkXrMe5dhjQowmZA9xL6ZWdsuAAbdg6KvS9IF8zU/edit))

"I´ll do it." She said quietly. She´d never been good at admitting her mistakes face-to-face. It was the least she could do for Faith.

"Good, good." Giles smiled warmly at her. He saw her thoughtful expression and briefly wondered what she was thinking. 

"Giles, I-" Willow swallowed. The older man looked at her expectedly. "I feel bad for how I...you know, treated Faith. S-she didn´t deserve it. I was so mean to her and stuff." She babbled, clutching onto a stray thread on her jacket and pulling at it as she anxiously waited for Giles to start yelling at her and telling her how horrible a person she was and, and...

Except nothing came. Instead, he let out a gusty sigh. He leaned back against the railing, still holding onto the small journal. "Willow. You and Faith have had your differences, especially when it comes to Buffy, but...if you expect me to berate you...I will not do so." At her confused expression, he continued, "Buffy is your friend and as I have witnessed these past two years...you do not have many of those. It is not so unthinkable that-that you´d attempt to protect those you _do_ have." He paused. "Faith is, as I have explained numerous times, is very different from you personalitywise. In many ways, she is the complete opposite of you and..." He focused intently on her with knowing eyes, "I hope I do not overstep my boundaries when I say this, but I believe that she very much threatens you." He paused again, then...

"Do you truly, _honestly_ believe that Buffy would find her more interesting a friend?"

Willow gaped at him for a moment. _How...?_ "I-I-I.... _No!_ " _Yes_.

Giles raised an eyebrow - _he can do that too?!_ \- He didn´t look for a second like he believed her words but went on. "No. I guess she wouldn´t, but whether you believe it is another story." He said calmly. Before she could say another word, he cleared his throat, smoothed out the lapels of his tweed jacket and put the journal in his hand - Willow looked at it curiously - under his arm and adjusted his glasses with the other hand. 

"That´s for Faith?" Willow couldn´t help but blurt out. She blushed furiously.

"Oh, this? Yes. Um, this was, uh, Diana´s." He explained, a shadow passing over his eyes. He looked a little sad if Willow had read him right. 

"Did you know her?" She asked curiously. 

Giles shook his head. He looked down at the small book that was now resting under his arm. "No." He gave a wan smile, his eyes still on the diary. "No, I did not." He looked up again at her, meeting her bright green gaze. "But I´d sure have liked to." He whispered.

_You can rest now, Diana. She´ll be in good hands. I´ll make sure of it...if´s it´s the last thing I ever do._

**Finite**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Angst. Angst. Angst. I LOVE IT. 
> 
> So yeah, I´m not going to really write a conclusion to the story, but let´s just say...it worked. Giles decided to actually be there for Faith and provide support for her while Willow decided that she wanted to extend an olive branch...in her own little Willowry-way. What´s interesting though is that Faith never actually finds out that it was Willow who (successfully of course) got ahold of Diana´s will, which confirmed that Giles was in fact, Faith´s new guardian. (Diana knew Giles, but Giles didn´t know her. It makes sense. She did, after all, tell Faith loads of cool stories about Buffy. She knew very well that Giles was her best option) 
> 
> Diana also wanted Faith to go to school, and Faith couldn´t exactly be like, "Fuck it. No way am I going to school." 
> 
> She respected Diana too much for that, and for all Faith´s flaws, her hard-earned loyalty doesn´t stop at death. Nah, she laughs at death. 
> 
> Anyway, read, review and don´t forget to leave kudos!
> 
> Dawn: "You gave MaiadaughterofAtlas another gift?"
> 
> (stares blankly at Dawn for a moment, then shakes her head, mumbling something incoherent)
> 
> xo


	2. A Letter From One Long Gone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A letter falls out of Diana´s memoir, containing secrets that will forever change Faith´s destiny.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do still not own Buffy. (pouts)

**A Letter From One Long Gone**

**Set in Season 3, a week later.**

_My dear Faith,_

_As I write my letter to you, I can´t help but wonder if you´ll ever read these words. You see, there is a reason for why I am writing my memoir and why I think it prudent that I finish it as quickly as humanely possible._

_Death is coming._

_That´s what that witch told me all those years ago. I refused to believe her at first. She didn´t answer my following questions as they poured out of my mouth, screaming at her in youthful rage, I was._

_She didn´t tell me when, or where, or even how it would occur. I was admittedly terrified. I was only 23 after all and thought I had my entire life ahead of me, only to find out that I might meet my end any day, and any given time. Part of me wished that I had never stumbled upon that book that day in the Watcher´s Academy library. A book that changed my life._

_The Book Of Slayers._

_Granted, it is not the most...imaginative...of titles, but it´s quite an extraordinary book. Important to everything the Watcher´s Council stands for._

_And some witless sod decided in a fit of utmost "brilliance" to put the original copy in a student library where any nosy student, like myself, could easily find it and, well, quietly smuggle it off the property. However, if you dare ask me, I will deny that I ever did such a thing._

_They are what, unfortunately, make up most of the Council´s esteemed inner circle. Do not worry, I packed my bags and got out of there in quite a hurry as soon as I graduated. Went to Africa, actually. It was a very enlightening trip. Far more enlightening then what I ever learned at the Academy. Remember, Faith; the only proper way to learn is through practical experience. Though I am fully aware that you take to that exceedingly well._

_From then on, I travelled the world. The Council practically begged me to come back, but I would not do so until years later. There I was, half-way across the globe and making a nuisance of myself everywhere I went. I certainly left an impression on, erm, numerous people who no doubt still want my head after all these years. What they may try to do with it is another matter entirely, though I dearly wish for it to be strung up above someone´s fireplace. That would just be mortifying._

_I did steal that book. Fortunately for me, nobody noticed. Or at least, I thought they didn´t. They sure let me delude myself into thinking that I had actually managed to smuggle a priceless book overseas without anybody realizing what I had done. How young and arrogant I was. Oh, I had a brilliant mind, but I was arrogant. As you know from experience, I sure do love hearing myself talk. That, I cannot deny. Thankfully, you love to hear me talk, as long I don´t tell you what to do. It´s something I admire about you. Your fiery spirit, your open-mindedness...and you're complete inability to take any kind of poppycock from anyone. I fear that it´s a rare quality to have these days. Do not lose it._

_Then, one cold March morning, 1987, I was staying at a demon hotel - yes, my dear Faith, those do exist. - when I received word from an, erm, acquaintance of mine. I presume he still wants to be left anonymous for the time being, though I do recall that he went to work for the Council some years ago...no matter, he´s not important as of yet. This "acquaintance" of mine told me that he had heard of a seer-witch who, to my slight horror, lived in Alabama. Leighton, Alabama to be more precise. Do you remember those people who wanted my head? Well, I assumed at the time that they had still not forgiven me for a...particular...incident involving some destruction of property and arson. I did apologize, I swear to you. Of course, they didn´t want to hear a word of it. They were too occupied screeching as I ran for dear life about how they were going use me as a sacrifice come April as well as a few other creatively-gory things. I will not repeat them for your ears. I loathe cults with every fibre of my being. They seem to have no other purpose other to make lives very difficult and potentially miserable._

_And this is where we come back to the beginning of the letter._

_The witch´s name is Tessa Maclay. I admit being surprised at her ordinary name. Being young and foolish as I was, no thanks to the joke of an education I had in Academy, I had assumed that all witches or warlocks were half-mad, socially-isolated edge cases with no lives outside their cauldron. The Council teaches one to be ignorant. Bigoted. Close-minded. To this day I still question why I went back._

_Mrs Maclay was an interesting person, to say the least. She was married to a man, Donald Maclay. She had a daughter, Tara. She was just a little thing. Six years old, still hiding behind her mother´s skirts. I´ve never wanted one myself. They are mentally incapable of holding intelligent conservation, they scream like they´re part-banshee and they urinate everywhere. Nothing could be worse._

_She also had a son, but I never saw him. His father kept him inside. I didn´t like him. He kept on staring out of the kitchen window and just watching us with his cold and mistrusting eyes._

_I was completely unprepared to hear what she had to say to me, and it was obvious. She was calm, tranquil almost, despite her husband´s constant_ _scrutinization._ _How could someone be so imperturbable as she was? I confess that I was in awe of her._

_Mrs Maclay told me about an ancient weapon. The Scythe. The weapon of Slayers. Built only for them. Nobody else could hold it up. If your average mortal attempted to do so, it would only fall back to the ground, unwilling to be held by anyone other then one who was worthy._

_To my frustration, she adamantly refused to tell me where it was. Only that "she" would know when the time was right. She couldn´t tell me more than that, she said, but I knew that she was hiding something._

_And she was, but I regret hearing the words that came next out of her mouth._

_"Death is coming for you."_

_To my utter humiliation, I lost control. I yelled at her. Threatened her. Demanded to know more. I didn´t want to die, but here she was telling me that I would! She didn´t react at all until Tara came outside. Then she grew very angry. Told me to leave. That I had to accept my fate for otherwise "she" would never be able to complete her destiny.  
_

_So, my dear Faith, I did. I stormed out of there like a spoiled child. I went back to the Council, where I was welcomed back with open arms with all of their empty praises and cold reassurances that "I´d fit in in no time."_

_Eventually, I buried the memories of my visit in the back of my mind. I convinced myself that I could avoid my fate. I don´t think I can, and that´s why I´m writing to you._

_I will never regret knowing you, Faith. I never wanted children, but you became mine anyway. One day, I will die, and it will set you on your path. I see that now, bittersweet as it may be._

_The only thing I wish for you is that you find happiness. You didn´t get a childhood, but you do get a chance at life, as short or as long as it may be. Make friends. See the world. Go to school. Or maybe you don´t wish to do such things. Do what you want to do. Go where you want to go. Regardless of what you end up doing...I´m proud of you, kid._

_And for goodness sake, do not listen to the Council._

_With much love_

_Diana J. Dormer._

_19\. March 1998_

With shaking hands, Faith silently placed the letter on the nightstand beside her bed. Several tear stains dotted the piece of paper. Her shoulders shook with intensity.

" _I love you too, Di._ " She whispered to the empty room.

She turned to the figure in the doorway.

"How much did you hear?" Her voice was hoarse.

"Enough," Jenny simply replied, saying nothing more. She was leaning against the frame, her dark eyes solemn. 

"She...she said that she died to set me on my path." Faith said softly. 

Jenny´s eyes glinted angrily in the faint light. "It wasn´t your fault." She said firmly. "Prophecies are fickle things. Do not trust them. Ms Dormer´s death may have been foretold, but it wasn´t your fault. You didn´t kill her. She knew that."

"But-"

" _No_. Even if you had never been born, she still would have died one way or another." She paused. "Don´t...Don´t blame yourself," Jenny said more gently.

Faith hunched over, suddenly looking very young and vulnerable. _"_ _I miss her, Jen."_ She sobbed. "I miss her _so much_." The tears spilled down her cheeks once more. 

Jenny immediately crossed the room and sat down on beside her, wrapping her arms around the distraught young girl. "That´s good. Let it all out...shhh, it´s okay." She whispered as Faith clung to her, sobbing.

They held each other for what seemed like several hours, but Jenny didn´t let go. Not even once.

**Finite**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Author sobs intensely) 
> 
> Okay, that, that was genuinely difficult to write. I was blinking back tears the entire time. I have never written something so deep and emotional in my life. God, that hurt. I really feel for Faith. Like, so much. 
> 
> Do you like the way I wrote Diana? Yes? No? I mean, she was a little intense. Also, surprise! The witch is Tara´s mother! Bet you didn´t see that one coming, did you?
> 
> Cordelia: (mumbles) "They probably did."
> 
> Oh, go bully someone else, Cordy. I don´t need you adding to my already excessive need for therapy!
> 
> If so, please give kudos and review to cheer me up. I need major therapy after writing this.
> 
> xo


End file.
